AT&T boosts network speeds for Alton

ALTON — AT&T has added a new cell tower to enhance the area’s 4G LTE coverage and help give residents and first responders faster, more reliable wireless service. 

“We want our customers to have a great experience. With 4G LTE service, they’ll be able to experience better network connectivity while streaming videos, sharing on social media or texting family and friends,” said Owen Smith, president of AT&T New Hampshire. “We’re always working to provide better coverage for the community and its first responders, and we’re investing in our wireless network to accomplish that.”

The upgrades also will benefit public safety and first responders on FirstNet, public safety’s dedicated communications platform. FirstNet is bringing public safety communications into the 21st century with new, innovative capabilities to help save lives. 

The enhancements also bring FirstNet Band 14 spectrum to the area. Band 14 is a nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government specifically for FirstNet. Its signal covers larger geographic areas with less infrastructure to better support rural communities, and it can better penetrate buildings and walls in more urban areas, compared to the higher-MHz spectrum. When not in use by FirstNet subscribers, AT&T customers can enjoy Band 14’s added coverage and capacity.

FirstNet is being built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority. It’s designed to help first responders in New Hampshire and across the country connect to the critical information they need — when they need it — so they can keep themselves and the communities they serve safer.